1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a printing device and a control method of a printing device.
2. Related Art
Printing devices (printers) for printing barcodes are known from the literature. A barcode has a number of color bars separated by spaces, and conforms to one of various standards such as JAN code, EAN, UPC code, ITF code, CODE39, CODE128, and NW-7. JAN code, EAN, UPC code, ITF code, CODE39, CODE128, and NW-7. The widths of the bars and spaces is determined by the barcode standard, and devices that read the barcodes recognize bars and spaces of the widths defined by the particular standard.
When a barcode is printed with an inkjet printer, however, bar width can vary as a result of ink bleeding and deviation in where the ink droplets land on the printed surface. The barcode may be unreadable if the bar width deviates more than allowed by the standard. Addressing this problem, JP-A-2005-47169 and JP-A-2009-193428 disclose ways to change how a barcode is printed depending on the print medium used for printing. The device of JP-A-2005-47169 changes the dot configuration of the bars and spaces in the barcode according to the type of print medium based on a previously stored correction table. The printing system of JP-A-2009-193428 adjusts the widths of the bars in the barcode according to the type of paper.
There are, however, many different types of print media, and the characteristics of the print medium used by the user can easily differ from the print medium anticipated by the manufacturer of the printer. As a result, even if the printer changes the barcode printing method or bar widths, those changes may not match the print medium, and the printed barcodes may deviate from the barcode standard.
The possibility that the printed barcode will deviate from the standard therefore increases because the barcode printing method and other corrections made by the printer do not match the type of print medium. If the user must specifically control all changes and corrections made to barcode printing, the barcodes can be printed desirably according to the print medium selected by the user. However, this complicates operation for the user, and complicates printing barcodes.